Undoing Ruin: The Secret War
by OrpheusLives
Summary: It's Harry's 6th Year and open war is coming to the magical world. A secret military force is sent in to aide the Order and Harry to defeat Voldemort. New characters and new battles. Will Harry survive it all?


**Author's Notes:** I've always played with the idea of involving soldiers and 'muggle' weapons with magic in my head. I find it interesting, thinking what it'd be like pitting Voldemort and Death Eaters against some soldiers armed with automatic weapons and the like, and also the idea of other magical governments being introduced into the Harry Potter universe, as the American magical government is represented in this fic. That being said, I'd like to take this space to explain that I in no way want to give readers the idea that I am trying to say that the U.S. is superior to anybody. That is not my intention. I just wanted to write a story where muggle technology goes up against magic. I'd also like to state that I present in this story my own idea what the American magical government would be like. I'm sure that a lot of people would disagree as to how I represent them, and I can understand that. Further, I'm sure that some hate the idea of having firearms in a HP fic. If you are one of those that find firearms disagreeable in HP, I respect your opinion and I recommend that you don't read this fic.

**G.I. Jargon: **In this section, I'd like to explain some of the terms used in this fic which some might not be familiar with. Some things, like the equipment used, can be Googled and searched on Wikipedia. Some of those being the following: the V-22 Osprey(a VTOL craft), the M2A3 Bradley(an apc or ifv), the MH-53 Pave Low(chopper), the M4A1 carbine and the M60 machine gun. Getting on to actual terms; LZ means 'landing zone'; E.T.A. means 'estimated time of arrival'; a flak jacket is, in this fic, actually modern body armor, but i liked the sound of 'flak jacket' better than body armor.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Captain Adam Speirs peered out the small view port of the craft he was in, searching the unfamiliar forests and pastures of England below. The loud props of the V-22 Osprey whipping through the air was slightly drowned out as his radio headset crackled from a transmission.

"Remind you of home, Captain?" asked Sergent Parker Grant, giving Speirs a friendly smirk. Speirs grinned back.

"Home is a bit more populated, Sergent," Speirs quipped. "I'm sure this must look like the moon, to a city boy like you, Grant." Sergent Grant let out a hoot.

"Yes, sir!" he said, and gazed out at the scenery below. Some of the other men in Alpha Squad let out small chuckles before falling silent again. Captain Speirs had to admit, though, all they were seeing was more and more green and a couple cows here and there. After a few more seconds of gazing, Speirs, hunched over a bit, made his way to the cockpit. Leaning over the copilot's seat, Speirs glanced out the window.

"How much longer until we hit the LZ?" questioned Speirs. The copilot looked at the map attached to his thigh then glanced at his watch.

"Forty-five minutes, Captain," the copilot informed him. Speirs nodded.

"Is northern Scotland cold this time of the year?" he asked, curious as to what the conditions would be like when they arrived. The copilot shook his head.

"Should be pretty nice weather," he informed Speirs. "Might start getting nasty into October/November, though." Speirs nodded again and after a moment, went to the back and took his place among his men. On flights like these, time always seemed to slow down. There was nothing to do other than look out the view port and smoke some cigarettes. The noise of the props made carrying on a conversation nearly impossible, and the radio was supposed to be used as little as possible. Speirs reached into his breast pocket and fished out a pack of smokes. Tapping it a few times against his thigh, he withdrew a cigarette and placed it between his lips. Before he could get out his lighter, the soldier next to him whipped out a silver zippo and ignited it. Speirs leaned in, inhaling, lighting his cigarette, The soldier flipped the lid shut and put the lighter back into his pocket. Speirs inclined his head towards the soldier in thanks, noticing he was a young Pfc. by the name of Norman Chase. Speirs recalled some of the training missions with his company, remembering that Private Chase showed a lot of promise in the field. _The kid might even be platoon leader one day,_ Speirs thought to himself. _Kid... Hell, I'm not much older than him, probably,_ Speirs found himself thinking. And it was more than likely true. Speirs had made his way up in rank at an alarming rate, reaching Captain at barely twenty years of age. Looking at Private Chase, Speirs thought that the kid could be no older than eighteen.

In fact, looking around, Speirs noted that most of his squad was between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one. _No surprise, really, considering the mission,_ Speirs thought. But Captain Speirs had to wonder what the higher military authorities were thinking, making him the commanding officer for this mission. Sure, he reported to Major Nixon, who in turn reported to Colonel Horten, but the major was back in Upottery and the colonel in Arlington. He was out in the field as the ranking officer, responsible for the entire mission and for the lives of all his men, an entire company of soldiers. It was stressful, but at the same time, humbling.

More time passed that Speirs didn't notice. Before long, the red light above Speirs' head turned on. Speirs glanced at it and stood up, grabbing a hold of the tether on the wall to balance himself. The red light meant that they were nearing the the landing zone. Speirs' eyes scanned his men and he nodded in approval as each of the soldiers prepared for landing; that meant checking their equipment and securing their weapons.

"Make sure your safety's are on!" Speirs shouted over the noise of the engines. "We aren't expecting any hostiles just yet, so don't any of you get trigger happy!" There was a spattering of laughs as each of the men clicked their safety's on. Speirs checked his own weapon, thumbing the switch on his M4A1 carbine. Looking back up at his men, Speirs began shouting instructions again. "As soon as this bird hits the deck, I want tactical columns down the ramp! Secure the LZ and await further orders!"

"Yes, sir!" came the acknowledgment in unison. Speirs grinned and waited for the light to change. As soon as the red light went out and the green one came on, the ramp to the Osprey was down and his men were up and out, their weapons at the ready. Speirs followed, ducking his head as he exited the ramp.

Speirs watched as the other four V-22's landed not far from his own. He keyed his headset on to give instructions to his squad leaders. "Squad leaders, take up defensive positions around your transports," Speirs instructed. "Do not fire unless given the order, do you copy?"

"Yes, sir," came four different affirmations. Speirs took his position with his men, going down on one knee.

"Yankee-six-oh, this is Alpha-zero-one, what's you're E.T.A, over?" Speirs said into his headset. There was a small bit of static before a reply.

"Alpha-zero-one, this is Yankee-six-oh," came a voice. "E.T.A. is one-zero minutes, over."

"Roger that," Speirs said. "Alpha-zero-one out." Speirs took a look around his surroundings. They had landed on open ground, not far from a large lake, and Speirs saw their target, sitting about 250 yards away from his current position. "There we go," Speirs said under his breath, taking a long look at the castle before them. Speirs shifted in his stance to make it easier to talk to his men. "Sergent Grant, take second platoon into a defensive position around around the Osprey," Speirs ordered. "I'm taking first platoon to the objective. Wait for further orders until first platoon makes contact." Grant nodded.

"Second platoon, defensive position!" Grant ordered and the men moved into a semi-circle around the troop transport. Speirs turned to the remaining men.

"First platoon, tactical column! Lieutenant Starks, take point! Move out!" Speirs ordered. The platoon began moving.

Two and minutes later, first platoon reached the entrance to the castle and took of up a defensive position around the lion statues on either side of the entrance. Speirs looked over his men, noting with satisfaction that the heavy machine gun crew had set up the M60 to cover their rear. Speirs took out a small silver device and clicked it once. After a few seconds, wispy silver smoke emerged from the device and snaked it's way up into the air, as if it had a life of it's own. It hovered in the air in front of the massive wooden doors to the castle before dissipating. They only had to wait a few long moments before they heard a noise from within the castle, and the giant doors began to open. All the men trained their weapons on the doors, half hidden from view.

The doors opened and the form of an old man emerged. The man wore long robes of dark blue and a strange cap on top his head, with long silvery hair spilling from beneath it, and a long gray beard that fell short just above his waist. He had a small piece of wood clutched in his hand. He didn't seem to notice the platoon of soldiers.

"Halt!" Speirs shouted to the old man. The man stopped abruptly and his eyes shot to where Speirs was crouched down at. Speirs stood and moved into view quickly, his weapon still aimed at the man. Half of the platoon followed and got in a wide arc that covered the old man 180 degrees. Speirs had to be a little amazed; the old man didn't even flinch even though he was surrounded by a group of soldiers.

"Well, hello," the old man greeted, a half smile on his face. "May I ask exactly who you gentlemen are?" he inquired.

"What's your name?" Speirs asked, ignoring the man's question.

"Forgive me, but I believe I asked you your names, first," the old man replied. "It's only polite to introduce yourselves."

"That depends on who you are," replied Speirs. "If you are who we're looking for, we could be your friends." The old man arched an eyebrow.

"And if I am not who you are looking for?" he questioned.

"If not, then we are simply ghosts and we'll vanish into thin air," Speirs answered. The old man's smile grew a little bit.

"Then allow me to introduce myself, then," he said. "My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, professor and Headmaster of this institution," he finished, with a small bow.

"So this is Hogwarts, then?" asked Speirs. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, that it is," he answered. Speirs nodded and lowered his weapon, the sling around his back so the rifle lay across his chest for easy access. The rest of the men lowered their weapons as well and retreated behind Speirs, taking up their defensive position again. Speirs unstrapped his helmet and held it between his arm and torso. He pushed his headset down around his neck and adjusted the mic so it still reached his mouth. Finally, Speirs extended his right hand in a gesture of greeting.

"I'm Captain Adam Speirs of the special task force, Omega Zero, under the authority of the United States Continental Congress of Magic," he said, introducing himself. Dumbledore, an amazed look crossing his wizened face, shook Speirs' hand nonetheless.

"The Continental Congress of Magic?" Dumbeldore asked. "Americans, then... does the Ministry know about this?"

"Those that need to know, know," Speirs said. "The Prime Minister of Great Britain and his cabinet requested that the C.C.M. intervene. That is why we are here."

"Intervene? For what, exactly?" Dumbledore questioned.

"To put a stop to your 'dark lord' problem," Speirs answered.

"You mean Lord Voldemort?"

"Yes, and his followers," Speirs said. "We'll be assisting in your security of Hogwarts starting this year, and staying until we have dealt with Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore was silent for a moment, trying to take in everything the Captain Speirs had said.

"While I appreciate your offer of help, I do not think--," Dumbledore began but Speirs cut him off.

"This was not an offer, Headmaster," he explained seriously. "We will be staying here until we have completed our objective and have killed Voldemort." A stern look came over Dumbledore's features at Speirs' words.

"Again, Captain Speirs, I appreciate you enthusiasm, but this is not the concern of the Continental Congr--," he began but was again cut off by Speirs.

"It is most certainly the concern of the C.C.M," Speirs said in a stern voice. "Do you think that, if Voldemort took control of Britain, he would just stop there?" Speirs asked. "Or do you think he would spread across Europe, like a disease, and then to Asia and Africa and beyond?" Speirs narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore. "And how long do you think it'd be before he finally decided to cross the Atlantic? I don't think I need to remind you of the dark wizard Grendelwald, Headmaster Dumbeldore." It was Dumbledore's turn to narrow his eyes.

"No," he said without emotion. "You do not." Speirs nodded grimly.

"Then I think you can why the C.C.M. does not want another dark wizard like we all had to deal with back in the forties--," Dumbledore cut Speirs off.

"_You_ were not there," he said decisively.

"Right you are," Speirs said. "My grandfather was, though." Dumbledore's look softened. "But I was referring to our governments, and both our countries were affected by it. Look, Professor Dumbledore," Speirs began, dropping his hands to his sides, one hand still grasping his helmet, "this is not just your war anymore. We all have something to lose if Voldemort seizes power again. You and your faction can not stop him this time," Speirs explained, obviously referring to the Order of the Phoenix. "And, to be honest... you Ministry of Magic is a joke," he stated simply. Dumbledore had to agree with Speirs on that point. The Ministry of Magic's current form was not as strong as Dumbledore would have liked it to have been. Speirs continued. "Not to mention, and I mean no disrespect, but the British wizarding community still uses such archaic ways of doing things..."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Dumbledore asked, sounding slightly put-off.

"Well," Speirs began but after glancing at his watch he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Professor, but that'll have to wait until another time. The rest of my force will be arriving shortly."

"How many more of you are there?" Dumbledore asked.

"Apart from what you see here, there are about another hundred men or so back at our landing site, and the heavy equipment will be here shortly," Speirs informed him. "I'd say all in all, there's about 130 men total." Dumbledore's eyes blinked in surprise.

"We don't have enough room in the castle," he said simply.

"Not a problem," Speirs said smoothly. "We'll have our mobile barracks ready to set up once they arrive." Speirs paused and scanned the sky. "In fact, I believe you can hear them now." Dumbeldore listened intently. He did, in fact hear them. There was low _whomp-whomp_ sound off in the distance. Speirs looked back at Dumbledore. "Professor, I know that you are worried about our being here. I know I would be," he explained. "But all of us, all my men, know who you are and respect you. Our instructors at the academy spoke highly of you, and you are just a much a hero to most American wizards as you are to everyone here. I promise you, on behalf of the Continental Congress of Magic Armed Forces, that the last thing we want to do is usurp your control of this school. We have a common enemy, and beyond that, we have been allies for a long time." Speirs extended his hand once again. "Please, accept our assistance."

Dumbledore looked humbled and a twinkle appeared in his eyes. He smiled.

"Of course, I accept you help," he answered, shaking Speirs. Speirs smiled back.

"After I finish our initial defense setup, I would very much like to have a meeting with you again and perhaps the rest of your staff, to go over some things." Dumbledore nodded.

"Of course, Captain," he replied. "I believe that would be rather prudent."

"Well, then, if you'll excuse me, sir, I have a castle to defend," and with that Speirs snapped a salute to Dumbledore, his men following suit. Dumbledore bowed. Speirs turned to his soldiers. "First platoon, back to the transport! Move out!" Speirs shouted, following his men.

As they arrived at the landing zone, Speirs saw that the several MH-53 Pave Low helicopters were beginning to unload their cargo. One of the gigantic choppers was towing two Humvees and ground crewmen were directing the chopper. Further on, the other choppers were unloading other vehicles, two of them being M2A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and still further on, two choppers were hovering overhead with large square shaped black boxes in tow. These black boxes were their Mobile Barracks Structure, of MOBS for short. Speirs patted First Lieutenant Starks on the shoulder.

"Lieutenant, I want the MOBS to be set up over on the west-side of the castle," Spier instructed. "Get on the radio and contact the helos with the MOBS and tell them to stand buy. I'll be getting the Bradley's and other equipment into position. After that, we'll assemble Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads and get the MOBS set up."

"Yes, sir," Starks said and saluted, shouldering his weapon and jogging off the ground crews awaiting to unload the MOBS. Speirs turned to his squad.

"Alright, first and second platoon, on your feet!" Speirs ordered. "On me!" he commanded, which meant to follow him. Speirs lead his squad to where the two Bradley's were sitting, with the Humvees not far off. "First Sergent Randleman, Sergent Grant, get you crews together and start up your Bradley's. Randleman, your designated call sign is now 'Whiskey One', Grant, your designated call sign is 'Whiskey Two'. I want Whiskey One positioned at the castle's entrance, about ten yards to the south of those statues. Get to it," Speirs commanded.

"Sir!" Randleman and his crew saluted and went to work. Speirs turned to Grant, withdrawing his map of the school grounds he had covered in a water repellent plastic.

"Whiskey Two, I want you stationed..." Speirs paused, his index finger tracing across the map. "...Here," he said, pointing. "On Grid E-12. Right here in between the lake and their Quidditch pitch. Once you're in position, throw some disillusionment netting over it. Try to blend it so it's not noticeable at first," he instructed, Grant nodding in understanding. "If enemy forces try to catch us off guard by coming in through the forest, we'll be able to give them a helluva surprise," he said, grinning. Grant and his men grinned back. "All right, get to it." Grant and his crew saluted and were off. Before long, both Whiskey One and Whiskey Two were on their way to their positions. Speirs turned to the rest of his squad. "Lopez, Manning, take the humvees and get the mortars hitched up. The rest of you pile into the humvees. When you get the mortars, dig in on Whiskey One's left flank. Understood?" Speirs asked.

"Yes sir!" came the response from his remaining squad.

"All right, get to it then," Speirs watched for a moment as they jogged off to do perform their orders. Speirs himself then jogged off to collect the rest of his company, who were still around their Osprey transports. "Company! On me!" Speirs ordered as he got within ear shot. About a hundred men assembled before him. "Squad leaders to the front!" Five men took their places in front of Speirs. "Lieutenant Ramirez, Lieutenant Marshall, Lieutenant Henderson; get those halos with the MOBS over to the west-side of the castle, then take your squads over there and begin their set up."

"Yes sir," came the reply, and the squad leaders got underway with their orders.

"Lieutenant Starks," Speirs said.

"Sir."

"I want you to contact the Osprey pilots and instruct them that once the Pave Lows are finished with unloading that they are also to return to base," Speirs ordered. "Once you've done that, get on the radio and assemble Alpha Squad at Whiskey One's position. We'll begin sandbagging some areas for machine gun nests. Get to it."

"Yes sir," Starks answered, saluted, and he was off.

Speirs surveyed the surrounding area, and began to mentally pick out emplacements for mg nests. It was going to take a little bit of work, but soon they'd have a very good defense on this place.

And then they'd be able to make war with Lord Voldemort.

A little over an hour later, everything was setup to Captain Spier's specifications. Along with the MOBS, which were meant for the soldiers under his command, there were also two different box-shaped structures they had brought with them. One of them was a smaller version of the mobile barracks meant for Speirs' private quarters, sine he was the ranking officer. The other was a Mobile Command Post, other wise known as a MOCPO. Within the MOCPO was various equipment to keep in touch with all of the field units, such as radios, and maps of different areas. There was, as much as it looked out of place, a fireplace on one wall of the MOCPO. Speirs, who had suggested he give Professor Dumbledore of the facilities, explained to him different aspects of the MOCPO.

"As you can see, like the MOBS, the MOCPO is magically enlarged to hold everything we need," Speirs said, drawing his arm in a wide arc to indicate all of the equipment in the room. "We installed the fireplace and have it connected to the Floo Network, exclusively so that we can communicate directly with you in an emergency." Dumbledore nodded in understanding.

"Captain Speirs, it seems that you have prepared for nearly everything, but I have some questions I hope you can answer," Dumbledore stated. Speirs nodded.

"I'll try to answer to the best of my ability," Speirs said.

"Well, the question I want to ask the most," Dumbledore began, " is 'are you muggles'?" Speirs shook his head.

"No, Headmaster," Speirs answered. "My men and myself are very much wizards, just like you are." With that, Speirs unzipped his field jacket and withdrew a wand from an inner pocket, showing it to Dumbledore, and then waving it in the air, creating a small light show of sparks. Dumbeldore nodded.

"Then why are you using Muggle weaponry and the like?"

"Professor, our countries have developed very differently," Speirs began, pocketing his wand in the process. "Ever since the U.S. became a country, the muggle government and the heads of our magical community have worked in close proximity with each other. When the C.C.M. was established and started opening wizarding schools, they decided to also teach different muggle studies to the students. And, since the U.S. government and the C.C.M. work in collusion together, they also decided to integrate muggle means of warfare to give us an edge against other wizarding communities." Speirs paused to let the Headmaster digest the information. Continuing, Speirs explained, "Comparatively, since we are taught the same muggle classes along with our magical classes, and your average wizarding school in different countries only teach magical studies, other wizarding communities are rather... ignorant of all things muggle." Dumbledore nodded in grim agreement.

"Yes, you are quite right in that regard," Dumbeldore stated.

"I think you can see the advantage, then, as Voldemort and his forces won't be expecting muggle technology in a fight. Furthermore, neither he nor his Death Eaters know how to counter against our weapons," Speirs informed. "We've had researchers on this for years, and have used this tactic in the field. I can assure that this works." Speirs paused and picked up a flak jacket that many of his men had been wearing when they arrived, and put it on himself. "But we know how putting blind faith in such things can easily lead to disaster. That's why we have things like these," he said, indicating to the vest. "If you'll be so kind, Professor Dumbledore, as to fire a cutting curse at me." Dumbledore eyed the young captain carefully.

"Excuse me, Captain Speirs?"

"Fire a cutting curse at me, sir," Speirs said again. "I assure you, I'll be fine." Dumbledore seemed to want to protest again but Speirs cut him off. "It's alright sir, please, go ahead." After a moment, Dumbledore withdrew his wand and fired a wordless cutting curse at Speirs. The curse flew at Speirs, only to bounce of the vest and hit the ceiling of the room, causing a loud _crack_ and a burn mark left in the curse's wake. "As you can see, Professor, these vests that the men wear are imbued with magical properties and low level to medium level curses will be repelled. The vests cannot, however deflect more powerful curses, like the Killing Curse, for example," Speirs explained, taking off the jungle camouflaged flak jacket and handed it to the Headmaster.

"That was quite impressive, Captain," Dumbledore said, examining the flak jacket. Speirs grinned.

"Thank you sir," he replied. "Do you have any more questions for me?" Dumbeldore stopped his examination of the vest and looked to Speirs, nodding his head.

"Yes, Captain Speirs," he began. "How many of your men, exactly, are going to patrol the grounds of the school?"

"Less then half, sir," Speirs answered. Dumbledore gave him a questioning look. Speirs explained. "Of the 130 or so men here at the moment, only about thirty of them well be staying here for security duty. My squad, Alpha, will be in charge of the school grounds, and will be staying on the grounds at all times, along with men to service our vehicles and facilities. Starting tomorrow, Bravo Squad will move down to Hogsmeade Station and begin securing it for the arrival of the students on September first. Likewise, squad Charlie will begin securing Platform 9 and 3/4 for the students' departure. After those mission parameters have been completed, Bravo team will stay in Hogsmeade, undercover, as a security force. They will be able to report any strange happenings in the village. Charlie, along with Delta, will begin information gathering. Most will be stationed in wizarding centers of activity, such as Diagon and Knockturn Alley. They will also be undercover as they will be gathering information on Voldemort and his followers. " Speirs looked at Dumbledore. "Any information we receive, we'll share with you. From there, I think we'll be able to decide on suitable plans of action."

"Yes, that sounds best," agreed Dumbledore. "I have one more question, Captain Speirs." Speirs nodded, waiting. "How much do you think your presence here will impact the students? My main concern is that the students are able to go on with their studies uninhibited by all of this." Speirs nodded.

"I understand completely, Professor," Speirs answered. "I assure you, my team will remain as low key as possible. We can't avoid the students noticing my forces all together, I'm afraid. My superior officers have suggested that you explain to the students that we are extra security for the school, provided in light of Voldemort's recent attacks. There is a good chance that a number of students raised as muggles will notice our weapons and such, and that will raise suspicion, but there's no real way around it," Speirs informed. "Other than that, I believe that things will proceed as normal. The students will still be able to make their Hogsmeade visits, as long as that's okay with you. We will just post more security around the town on those days." Dumbeldore nodded in understanding.

"Thank you for alleviating some of my concerns, Captain," Dumbledore told Speirs.

"No problem, sir," Speirs replied, inclining his head slightly. "I think that about wraps our little tour up, Professor Dumbledore," he said. Dumbledore nodded.

"Perhaps it would be best, now that I've seen your facilities, to hold a staff meeting and fully explain the situation to the other Professors," Dumbledore suggested. Speirs agreed immediately and the two men left the command post, heading towards the entrance to Hogwarts.

Adam Speirs sat and watched silently as the staff meeting progressed around him. He had gotten used to the furtive glances and quiet whispers the professors kept giving him. He could only guess that they remained suspicious of his intentions concerning their school, even as Professor Dumbledore assured them that Speirs could be trusted. It was to be expected, Speirs realized. He was a foreigner and, to the various professors, he was imposing himself in their affairs. Never mind the fact that their own government agreed with Speirs' superiors that he and his men needed to be here. Speirs couldn't particularly blame them, for he felt that their initial mistrust was probably in the right place. Speirs cleared his head and concentrated on what Dumbledore was saying.

"Captain Speirs has assured me that he will do his best in keeping his operations from interfering with how Hogwarts normally functions," the headmaster was explaining. "I cannot say that I had hoped for it to have happened this way, but as of now, Captain Speirs may very well be the best defense that can be provided for the school and for the students. As it is, we will be working very closely with the captain in the coming months. I ask that you try to help each other to the best of abilities." There was a collective nod and agreement from the Professors. With that, Dumbledore dismissed the meeting, and the professor rose to leave. After a few moments, Speirs realized that two of the professors were lingering back, despite their dismissal. He glanced at the head master.

"I have asked Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape to stay, Captain, because they are members of the Order," Dumbledore explained. Speirs nodded in understanding. "As I said earlier, we will be working together to defeat Voldemort," Dumbeldore stated. "In that regard, I believe that you should be informed, Captain, that Professor Snape is a spy for the Order."

"To what extent?" Speirs asked carefully.

"Voldemort believes that Severus is loyal to him and reports of our activities to him," Dumbledore said. Speirs' face remained neutral.

"I see," he simply replied and looked at Snape. Professor Snape seemed to regard Speirs with suspicious caution. _He's waiting for me to make an accusation at him_ Speirs thought to himself. Instead, Speirs turned to Dumbledore.

"I was hoping we could discuss what information Severus should pass on to Voldemort in regard to you arrival," the headmaster explained. Speirs nodded.

"I think you should tell him my forces and I have arrived, of course, " Speirs began. "Reveal to Voldemort that we are defending Hogwarts and, more importantly, that we appear to be using muggle weapons instead of magic to get our work done. Since Voldemort is ignorant of the capabilities of muggles, he should underestimate our forces and think that he can simply wipe my men out." Snape spoke for the first time to Speirs.

"What makes you think that the Dark Lord _can't_ wipe you out, Captain?" he asked dryly. Speirs looked Snape in the eye.

"He is ill prepared to take my men on in combat," he retorted. "He thinks that he is above muggle inventions and that they couldn't possibly pose a threat." Snape was about to respond when Dumbledore cut him off.

"Captain Speirs is right, Severus," he said. "Voldemort has never regarded muggles as a threat, and he never will, not until it is too late. If you report to him that they are using muggle weapons, he will overestimate his own power and Captain Speirs and his men will have a great advantage." Snape regarded what Dumbledore said for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Apart from telling him that we are defending the school, don't reveal any other aspects of our operations," Speirs suggested. "If he thinks that we are merely a security force, he won't be expecting us actively pursuing him." Speirs looked to Dumbledore. "That is what I think would be best in telling him, Professor." Dumbledore nodded.

"Then it is agreed," he answered. "Severus, you will tell Voldemort what we have agreed upon. If this diverts his attention away from Captain Speirs' operatives, there is a good chance that we will soon have the upper hand in this war." Severus nodded but he seemed to want the ask the headmaster something.

"Albus, where does the boy fit into all of this?" Speirs' brow rose in interest.

"What 'boy'?" asked Speirs before Dumbledore could answer Snape.

"I believe Severus is referring to Harry Potter," Dumbledore explained. Speirs stared at him for a moment.

"The Boy-Who-Lived," Speirs said. It wasn't a question. Dumbledore looked a little surprised.

"You've heard of him?" he asked. Speirs nodded.

"Of course. We know quite a bit about him."

"Then you should know that he is involved some-what rather heavily in this war," Dumbledore said. Speirs eyed him.

"I suppose you're referring to the prophecy." There was dead silence after Speirs' last statement. Dumbledore was the first to find his voice.

"How do you know about the prophecy?" he asked.

"We have our ways," he said simply, offering no further explanation. "My superiors have taken into consideration Harry's roll in defeating Voldemort and--" he was cut off from Professor McGonagall.

"Wait a moment," she interrupted. "You _know_ what the prophecy says?" she asked in a disbelieving voice. Speirs blinked.

"You mean you don't?" he asked in response. Dumbledore seemed to fidget.

"Only a few people know what exactly the prophecy foretells. Myself and young Harry are the only ones who know the prophecy in full." He looked at Speirs. "Or so I thought."

"I see," Speirs answered. "Then perhaps I should speak to you in private about this," he suggested.

"Yes, I believe that would be best," Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Minerva, Severus, if you'll please excuse us." Professor McGonagall nodded and, after saying good bye, left the conference room. Snape gave a curt nod to Speirs and Dumbledore before quickly leaving. After they had gone, Dumbledore turned to Speirs. "What exactly do you know about the prophecy, Captain?"

"To the best of my recollection, I believe it stated that Harry was the only person capable of defeating Voldemort and that one had to kill the other," he answered.

"That is correct," Dumbledore said. "I believe you were explaining what your superiors had to say about Harry and the prophecy?" Speirs nodded.

"We take prophecies seriously, Headmaster. My superiors believe, and I agree, that we should take every precaution in protecting Harry and teaching him so that he can defeat Voldemort." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" he questioned.

"Well, we don't believe in doing something as drastic as assigning personal body guards around him," Speirs explained. "That would only further alienate him and possibly make him a bigger target. He should be well protected while he is at Hogwarts. In fact, as soon as he arrives at Kings Cross, he'll be under our security. In terms of teaching him, we thought that we'd suggest providing him with advanced training in combat magic and, if you'll allow, perhaps the use of a few of our weapons."

"Do you think giving Harry training in muggle weapons would be wise?" Dumbeldore asked, seeming a little skeptic about the need for muggle weapons.

"I think that he could use any advantage we can provide him, Professor," Speirs said. Dumbledore still didn't like they idea to much.

"I'm afraid I'll have to think about that aspect of your suggestion, Captain." Speirs nodded.

"I understand completely. However, I do strongly advise that he be allowed to be tutored in the ways of combat magic. I can only see good coming from that sort of instruction, Headmaster." It was Dumbledore's turn to nod.

"Yes, I agree with you there, Captain," he said. "What do you suggest, in that regard?"

"One of my men, Lieutenant Starks, is a highly trained combat wizard, as am I. With your permission, I'd like to oversee Harry's training along with Lieutenant Starks."

"I don't see why we can't do that," Dumbledore said, agreeing to Speirs idea. "If I could, I wouldn't mind sitting in on one some of your training sessions, Captain."

"I think that'd be a great idea, Professor," Speirs replied. "Once the term starts, Lieutenant Starks and I will work on a training regime for Harry, which you can look over. Any ideas you have as to what we should include would be a welcome addition." Dumbledore smiled.

"Of course, I will help as much as I can," he answered. Speirs smiled.

"Well, if that is all, Headmaster, then I will be taking my leave."

"Of course, Captain," Dumbledore said. "I will see you tomorrow, then. Good night."

"Good night, Professor."

With that, Speirs left the conference room and made his way down to his command post to brief his squad leaders on the developments so far. After he was finished, Speirs made his way to his personal quarters to file a report to send to Major Nixon back at base.

After a long time at typing at his computer terminal, Speirs sent his report and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes. It was nearly evening, almost time for supper in the mess facility they had set up beside the mobile barracks. Speirs, deciding on practicality rather than comfort, contacted the officer in charge of the mess hall to send a meal to his quarters. This way, Speirs could get some food and make sure that he had the correct orders to give his men tomorrow. Not long after sending for his meal, their came a knock on the door to his room.

"Enter," Speirs said. He glanced up to see the courier and good friend, Lieutenant James Starks, carrying a covered tray of food towards him.

"I believe you ordered room service, sir," Starks said with a grin, setting down the tray on the small table next to Speirs computer terminal and desk. Speirs grinned at Starks as he got up and sat down at the table.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked the lieutenant as he uncovered the tray. Starks shook his head.

"Nah, already ate," he answered, sitting down across from Speirs. "Had my fill of tonight's special, thanks." Speirs raised and eyebrow as he began to dig into his Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes.

"What, you don't like spaghetti?" Speirs asked. Starks made a face.

"More like egg noodles with ketchup," he replied. "I can't believe anybody calls that 'spaghetti'."

Speirs grinned between mouthfuls. After the day's operation and consequence tour and meetings with Dumbledore, it was nice to relax for a little bit. "So is Bravo ready for tomorrow's operation?" he asked. Starks nodded.

"They'll be moving out at 0500 towards Hogsmeade. After securing the outskirts, they'll be moving into the building we've procured to set up their base of operations. We should have a direct line of contact with Bravo at about 0530. After that, they'll be under the guise of security officials and will secure Hogsmeade Station." Starks paused as he watched Speirs digest this information along with his food.

"Sounds good," he replied, taking a swig from his cup. "Have we had any word on the armored rail cars for September first?"

"Yeah, we got word from HQ a little while ago," Starks said. "They'll be ready for hookup to the Hogwarts Express for departure from Kings Cross." Starks eyed Speirs for a moment before continuing. "I'm assuming you'll want to go there personally to supervise the operation?"

"Yeah," Speirs replied, nodding. "I want to make sure things go smoothly. I don't want to be back here if something goes wrong like an attack on the train. You'll be in charge of security while I'm gone, of course." Speirs grinned.

"Of course," Starks said with a grin of his own. Turning a little serious, he continued. "You expecting a Death Eater attack?" he asked. Speirs shrugged.

"I have no idea," he answered truthfully. "I'd rather be there and nothing happen than be back here and have a train full of dead bodies," he said, casting his eyes downwards for a moment. Looking back up, a small smile appeared on his face. "There's also the matter of training someone I'd like your help with once the term starts." Starks cocked an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter," Speirs answered. Starks' ears perked up at the name.

"Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, Harry Potter. We'll be training him in combat magic once he gets here."

"I assume you have the Headmaster's permission on this?" Starks asked.

"Of course," Speirs said. "He thought it was a good idea in training him. Even said he like to watch some training sessions and he'll help out when he can."

"That's good, then," Starks responded. "What about training him with firearms?"

"No such luck on that," Speirs stated, explaining. "He didn't seem too keen on the idea, but he said he'll think about it. Hopefully, he'll say yes, and we can incorporate some Omega Zero strategies in his training. He'll be a lot more effective that way." Starks nodded in agreement.

"Well, I'll be leaving now," Starks said after a little while longer. "You need your rest, and I have a card game to win." Starks grinned.

"What, you guys already settling in that fast?" Speirs said, his lips twitching upwards.

"We'll be here awhile, might as well get used to it. I'd invite you, but I'm sure you still have _so_ much to go over and I wouldn't want to keep you from that." And with that, Starks said his good byes and left Speirs alone.

Sighing, and a little resentful at the work he had to do, Speirs once again sat at his desk and switched on the small CD player next to him. The soft sound of a man's singing and gentle acoustic guitar filled the room as Speirs began typing out orders for the men on his computer. _Well, maybe tomorrow night..._ he thought, thinking of Starks and some of the other men playing cards off in the barracks. _Maybe tomorrow.  
_

** Extended Author's Notes:** If this chapter seemed overly long and withdrawn, I apologize. I wanted to get as much detail and explanation in as possible. That way, I can concentrate on character interaction and plot development in the coming chapters. I highly doubt that I'll have any chapters this long in the future, or at least if I do, they'll be rare. And to those of you asking, "Where's Harry!", rest assured that it'll be all (or almost all) Harry from here on out. We'll see how the story goes, but despite this chapter seemingly being extremely non-Harry oriented, I promise that this fic is all about Harry and his struggle against Voldemort. I'm also writing another fic at the moment, so I don't know when this will be updated, but I'll do my best. With that, I'll see you next chapter (and don't forget to review!). Bye.


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